Crossovers split audio signals to be delivered to drivers. There are many ways to set this up, but you should be careful as you may end up with audio speakers that are not in harmony.
Our team of sound engineers did the leg work for you to learn how to get more bass out of your subwoofer through the crossover.
Defining a Subwoofer Crossover
Crossovers are electronic devices meant to split the audio signal into different frequencies which are sent to the different drivers. Most subs come with a built-in subwoofer crossover that just needs some adjusting.
The subwoofer’s crossover frequency is the frequency wherein your sub will start to roll off and produce the base notes. This is where the sub and other speakers work together to create sound. This is automatically assigned based on your sub’s capabilities so it is best to leave it.
How It Impacts Subwoofer Sound
Having a crossover for your subwoofer allows your sub to play the right frequencies without putting a strain on its performance. A properly configured subwoofer crossover will result in harmonious quality output.
How to Set Your Subwoofer Crossover
The first thing you have to do is to listen to your audio setting so you know what to adjust. The newer systems come with an equalizer setting set automatically so all you have to do is to listen if it already suits your preferences. If not, manually adjusting some parts would do the trick.
Before adjusting anything, you should first identify the range that your center speaker can produce. This is important as the adjustments in the subwoofer crossover will depend on this one.
Next, go to the back of your subwoofer and look for the crossover knob. This is where you need to adjust. You have to set your low-pass crossover range at least 10Hz higher than the center speaker’s range.
So if your center speaker can produce 80Hz to 120Hz, then adjust your low-pass crossover range to 90Hz. This will tell your center speaker to roll off when the audio gets lower than 80Hz, while your subwoofer to roll off when audio gets higher than 90Hz.
This may sound easy, but you may have to do this by trial and error in order to identify the correct subwoofer crossover for optimum harmony [1] between the speakers.
The next thing to do is to test if the system is working. Play familiar music, something that you know where the peaks are, in order to identify if your system is working correctly. If the sound is muddy, you can adjust the crossover knob again.
(For related post, you can also check our page about speaker crossover here)
Tips and Reminders
In order to properly set up your subwoofer crossover, our sound engineers suggest the following:
- Know all your speaker’s frequency range
- Be patient with setting up as this may take a few tries of trial and error
- Place the subwoofer close to the wall or near a corner to feel the optimum bass effect
FAQ
Do I need a crossover for my subwoofer?
Yes, you need a crossover for your subwoofer. This will ensure that the correct low-frequency range is fed to the subwoofer so it will not put a strain on the sub and make it have a hard time producing the tones.
Aside from that, subwoofer crossover ensures that the bass roll-off is good enough so the speaker will sync together harmoniously.
Do passive subwoofers have crossovers?
Yes, passive subwoofers have crossovers so the bass signal is separated from the signal that is driven to the speakers and amplifier.
Passive crossovers are especially needed if the audio system is a two or more-way parallel system. This is so the audio signals are separated according to their frequency.
Conclusion
Subwoofer crossover is needed to achieve optimum sound quality from your speakers. Our experts suggest ways on how to get more bass out of your subwoofer. Adjusting the low pass crossover at the back of the subwoofer until the audio output meets your preferences will do the trick.
To enjoy your subs even better, you can also check our list below:
